Camilla Jessen
Trump claims he brokered a ‘complete and total’ 12-hour ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Just after midnight on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump declared what he called a “complete and total armistice” between Israel and Iran, claiming the 12-day war between the two nations would officially end within hours.
According to a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump said the ceasefire would begin Tuesday morning, with Iran halting its operations at noon and Israel doing the same at midnight.
“During the ceasefire, the other side will remain peaceful and respectful,” he wrote. “Assuming everything works out as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both countries… for having the stamina, courage and intelligence to end what should be called, ‘THE 12-DAY WAR.’”
He ended his message with sweeping praise: “God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and God bless the world!”
Mixed Messages
According to Digi24, Iranian state media, meanwhile, also mentioned a ceasefire — but framed it very differently.
Broadcasters announced that a truce had been “imposed on the enemy” after Iran’s missile attacks on a US base in Qatar, which Tehran called a response to “US aggression.”
The presenter noted that Trump had called for a ceasefire “in a manner of urging akin to a plea.”
Iran’s leadership also remained firm in its rhetoric.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated, “We have not attacked anyone and we will never accept being attacked by anyone… We will not submit to anyone’s aggression — this is the logic of the Iranian nation.”
Continued Violence
Despite the declarations, the conflict continued.
Air raid sirens sounded in northern Israel Tuesday morning, and missile strikes were reported from both sides well after Trump’s announcement.
Vice President J.D. Vance, speaking on Fox News moments after Trump’s post, praised the president’s efforts.
“It’s good news that the president was able to get this deal done,” Vance said, adding that Trump had been working on the agreement right before leaving the White House for the interview. Vance also claimed, “Iran is no longer capable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment it has, because we destroyed it.”
The recent flare-up began with Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets on June 13.
Over the weekend, U.S. bombers joined in with heavy airstrikes on Iranian underground facilities.
On Monday, Iran retaliated by launching missiles at the U.S. Al Udeid air base in Qatar, though the strike caused no casualties.
Trump later thanked Iran for giving early warning ahead of the attack, calling it a sign that peace might now be possible.
Whether that peace holds, however, is still far from certain.